Everlasting Love
by Automatic Flower
Summary: One shot. From episode 47, Kagome sees Inu Yasha with Kikyo. Naraku appears. AngstRomanceTragedy. R&R please!


Hey! I came up with this idea while re-watching episode 47 and 48. Actually, I've had a similar idea for quite a long time, so I finally decided to get it down and over with. Enjoy.  
  
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Everlasting Love  
  
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. . . .  
  
"Kikyo, it doesn't matter what you think of me, I will still protect you from Naraku! You don't need to fight anymore, Kikyo." Inu Yasha shouted, pulling the undead miko into a fierce hug.  
  
"I-Inu Yasha!" She protested weakly, however melted into his embrace, hugging him back.  
  
'Why?' Kagome thought in horror, watching the scene unfold before her.  
  
'While I was gone...Inu Yasha and Kikyo. How come?'  
  
"The only one who can protect you from Naraku is me!" Inu Yasha said. The soul snatchers and glowing souls surrounded the two, next to the Sacred Tree.  
  
Kagome shrank back behind her hiding place. 'I can't bear to look...'  
  
"Inu Yasha," Kikyo whispered.  
  
"Kikyo."  
  
Unaware of the undead miko's actions, he continued to keep her in his embrace. Suddenly, he the cold tip of a dagger on his neck.  
  
"Eh!? Kikyo," Inu Yasha said, startled.  
  
"Hmph. Men are stupid." Kikyo whispered to him. "You think one hug can make me yours?"  
  
"Kikyo," Inu Yasha said again.  
  
"Don't move! I now know that as long as Onigumo's heart remains in Naraku, I have a chance. Then I can purify Naraku and eliminate him from this world."  
  
"Kikyo..." Inu Yasha whispered.  
  
Soul snatchers gathered around her, and began to carry her off into the night sky.  
  
"Kikyo! Kikyo!!" Inu Yasha called out.  
  
'The red string of fate, once broken, cannot be connected again.' Kikyo thought, watching the desperate hanyou cry out to her.  
  
"KIKYO!!!" Inu Yasha yelled into the night, as the tragic priestess disappeared.  
  
Kagome, from behind the tree, fought back the tears that threatened to fall.  
  
'Don't I matter at all to him? Why hasn't he picked up my scent yet? Do I matter to him anymore?'  
  
She slid to her knees with a soft thump, anguish upon her features. Hearing a soft thump, Inu Yasha whipped around. Kagome slowly emerged from her spot.  
  
'Why isn't he looking away?' Kagome thought dejectedly.  
  
'Kagome, were you watching?' The sorrowful hanyou gazed into her chocolate-brown eyes, currently full of pain, grief and betrayal.  
  
'Inu Yasha, he's looking at me directly.'  
  
'I can't say it...'  
  
'I don't want to hear those words. I don't want to hear him say it!'  
  
Kagome thought, as she finally tore from her position, running away. Her heart cried, remembering Inu Yasha hugging her incarnation. It broke upon hearing his words echo in her head. It shattered into pieces, seeing his expression, and knowing what he was going to say.  
  
*  
  
Beside the well, Kagome broke down. Her sobs shook her entire body, and could be hear from a long distance away. Letting out a cry of anguish, it echoed in the night, reaching across the sky and towards the heavens.  
  
*  
  
"What was that?" Sango asked from inside the hut. Miroku looked out the doorway. He spotted an area of the forest surrounded by glowing orbs of light.  
  
'I may know, but I fear the answer...'  
  
*  
  
Inu Yasha froze in his steps. Fighting back his own tears, all he could do was shake his head in sorrow.  
  
'Forgive me, Kagome.'  
  
*  
  
Kagome cried until she had no tears left, leaving her heart to cry on its own. Gripping the side of the well, she felt her will leave her.  
  
'What is this emptiness?'  
  
She didn't notice a thick cloud of miasma form in front of her.  
  
"Kukuku...what have we got here?" Kagome didn't even look up. Naraku smirked evilly.  
  
"No more determination I see? I guess I'll just have to take you shards then, now?" One of his tentacles reached out, binding itself around Kagome, who still made no attempt of struggle. Another reached into her pocket, and extracted the shards. Yet, Kagome still didn't make a move. Naraku's smirk became wider.  
  
"Perhaps before I demolish you, I'll see that pathetic hanyou suffer. You'll need to scream for me." He sneered.  
  
Kagome turned her head towards him. This time, it was the real Naraku. He hadn't sent another Kugutsu?  
  
"I will not scream."  
  
Naraku chuckled in amusement.  
  
"I suppose I'll have to make you." With that, he struck one of his tentacles through her side, where the Shikon no Tama was before. Wincing in pain, Kagome bit back the cry that fought to escape her lips.  
  
Laughing darkly, Naraku conjured an army of youkai behind him.  
  
"You WILL cry out, Kagome!" A tentacle wrapped around her chest, crushing the air out of her lungs, and breaking a few ribs in the process. Running out of oxygen, Kagome's instincts finally took over.  
  
She let out a piercing scream.  
  
*  
  
Inu Yasha whipped around, upon hearing a scream break the silence of the night.  
  
His eyes widened, detecting the scent of none other than Naraku.  
  
"Kagome!"  
  
Leaping through the air at top speed, he silently begged that she was still alive.  
  
*  
  
Miroku, Sango and Shippo turned their heads towards the sound.  
  
"That was Kagome!" Shippo cried out in alarm. Sango grabbed her boomerang, while Miroku picked up his staff. The three ran out of the hut, Kirara at their heels, towards their desperate friend.  
  
*  
  
"Kukuku...I said you would scream, and in the end, you did. Very good Kagome, now that wasn't so hard now, was it?"  
  
"You...bastard...!" Kagome managed to force out.  
  
The horde of youkai were all itching to kill, to tear apart an opponent. Youkai of every size, shape and class imaginable. They were all crying out, roaring, hissing and fidgeting to simply...kill.  
  
"Your friends are coming to your rescue. Now, we'll have to put on a good show for them, hmm?" He mocked, chuckling sinisterly.  
  
"Leave my friends...out...of this!" Kagome choked.  
  
Just then, Inu Yasha broke into the clearing.  
  
"KAGOME!!" He hollered.  
  
Laughing insanely, Naraku rounded on Inu Yasha, dropping Kagome painfully to the ground. Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Kirara appeared.  
  
"Kagome!" Sango shouted out, rushing to her side. Lifting her head onto her lap, she shook her friend gently. Kagome opened her eyes slowly.  
  
"I'm...ok..." She whispered. She turned her head painfully in Inu Yasha's direction, where he was currently destroying Naraku's army with Kaze no Kizu. Naraku frowned.  
  
'His power had increased since last time.'  
  
Inu Yasha rounded on Naraku.  
  
"I will kill you for hurting Kagome! Prepare to die!!" He yelled, swinging Tetsusaiga. "KAZE NO KIZU!!!"  
  
Naraku grunted in pain as the attack hit his left shoulder. One of his tentacles raced towards the inu hanyou, only to be dodged. Many more sped towards Inu Yasha.  
  
'Shit! I can't keep dodging like this!' He paused to use Kaze no Kizu once more, however, that was a wrong move. A tentacle came plunging into his abdomen. His eyes widened.  
  
"Inu Yasha!!!" Kagome yelled out. She struggled to stand.  
  
"Kagome! You shouldn't move yet! Your words are severe!" Sango said urgently, however Kagome ignored it.  
  
"Heh. I shouldn't. But that doesn't mean I can't." Kagome cursed under her breath when she saw her bow and arrows weren't present.  
  
Meanwhile, Inu Yasha was starting to weaken. His gaping wound in his abdomen was bleeding very heavily. He also sported many, many other cuts and scrapes. Even dodging Naraku's stupid tentacles was taking its toll on him. He looked up in horror as he saw Naraku generating a huge ball of thick, poison miasma.  
  
"You WILL die, Inu Yasha!!" Naraku yelled, blasting the miasma in Inu Yasha's direction.  
  
It seemed to happen in slow motion. One second, Inu Yasha was staring at the attack coming his way. Next second, Kagome hurled herself out of no where, throwing herself against his chest, taking the attack for him.  
  
"KAGOME!!!!" Sango, Shippo and Miroku yelled out as Kagome collapsed. Inu Yasha stood frozen in shock.  
  
Kagome...  
  
"Naraku..." he hissed. "DIE!!" He bellowed, swinging Tetsusaiga with all the strength he had. His aim was true. With one last piercing shriek, Naraku disintegrated. When the attack cleared, there was literally nothing left of him.  
  
The sun was starting to rise. Inu Yasha sank to his knees. Softly lifting her torso into his arms, he spoke her name gently, but urgently.  
  
"Kagome? Kagome! Open your eyes, Kagome!"  
  
As if on cue, her eyes opened slowly. Her vision was blurry.  
  
"Inu Yasha..."  
  
He fought back the tears.  
  
"Kagome, it's ok. Naraku's gone."  
  
"Please...don't leave..."  
  
"Don't worry, I won't leave you."  
  
A tear slid down Kagome's cheek.  
  
"I'm sorry, Inu Yasha..."  
  
"Don't you dare be sorry! There's nothing for you to be! It's my fault! Don't you dare blame it on yourself!"  
  
A stream of tears was flowing down her face.  
  
"But...I won't...live much...longer..."  
  
Inu Yasha shook his head violently.  
  
"NO! You will live! You can't die on me! Don't die on me, wench!"  
  
Kagome smiled weakly.  
  
"Then...will...you please...take me...to the Sacred Tree...?"  
  
He nodded, the tears getting harder to hold back every second. Leaping through the trees, he landed softly on a branch of the Sacred Tree.  
  
"Kagome?"  
  
He leaned against the tree, Kagome lying against his chest.  
  
"Thank you...Inu Yasha..."  
  
"Don't get any ideas of saying your good-byes!"  
  
She was silent, her shallow breathing could be heard.  
  
"Inu...Yasha?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Answer this question...for me...who do you...love?"  
  
It was Inu Yasha's turn to be silent for a moment.  
  
"I love..."  
  
'I will still love him, even if he answers Kikyo. My love for Inu Yasha is forever.'  
  
"I...love Kagome."  
  
All she could do was cry silent tears of joy.  
  
"Thank you...Inu Yasha...I...love you...too...more than...you'll ever know..."  
  
He wrapped his arms around her. Unable to stop it, a tear escaped his eye.  
  
"I'm glad...that...it's morning..."  
  
Inu Yasha nodded. "I am, too."  
  
"My love...for you...will last forever...Inu Yasha......"  
  
Inu Yasha froze.  
  
Nothing.  
  
He listened.  
  
Nothing.  
  
He couldn't help but let the stream of tears flow freely, continuing to hold Kagome.  
  
"My love for Kagome...is forever...as well."  
  
~Everlasting love is unbreakable. Love will continue forever, as time goes on. It is the most powerful thing that can be shared between two. If you can live through the pain brought by it, and reach out to what it truly is, you will understand.~  
  
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;_;  
  
Sad. Very depressing ending. It was so sad for me, I almost couldn't help crying while typing this. It's even more heartbreaking if you have background music to it. Okay, so maybe I don't understand the lyrics, but the tune just makes it so much more...heartbreaking. I really have to go watch some happy Inu Yasha episodes now! Ja!  
  
~anime fantasy~ 


End file.
